Considering going back to uni to study medicine

[Askja]

Am I crazy to be considering this? I’m currently a SAHM to two DDs (1 and 2 yrs). I fairly passionately want to study medicine and become a doctor, but I’m worried about the impact on my children. DDs would be 5 and 3 when I started medical school, so 10 and 8 when I started as a junior doctor. I have a very supportive DH who’s good with the children. He’s willing to go part time or even be a SAHD to make childcare work.

My main worry is that having such a demanding job will mean I miss out on a proper relationship with my DDs and won’t be able to be there for them when they need me. On the plus side I can see I’d be a good role model for them, and they might gain more independence through having a working mum.

Other questions I have: I want to work in a hospital setting (I would really like to do emergency medicine…) – is it possible to carve enough family time out of shift rotas? Can I be a doctor without having to move house all the time in the early years?

If you’ve managed being a doctor and a mother please let me have your thoughts.

[LauraBridges]

Most women and men who work full time don't miss out on relationships with their children. They have very proper very good and very loving relationships. Go for it. Many of us think a few hours a day with our children is the perfect balanced life that makes children and parents happy, rather than 24/7 with the children. If you look at the thread on high earning mothers you will see on that lots of women working full time in demanding careers who love it and whose children indeed often benefit from it rather than vice versa.

[Unexpected]

Someone asked the same question on this thread and had some good advice.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/going_back_to_work/1927271-Has-anyone-become-a-doctor-or-vet-later-on-Im-34-with-2-young-children-is-it-a-mad-idea

[Askja]

Thanks Unexpected I had missed that thread.